EU Prepare to be
fingerprinted: new EU proposals foresee mandatory biometrics
in national ID cards18.4.18
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| | TweetThe European Commission has proposed
a host of new measures aimed at "denying terrorists the
means to act" which include the mandatory inclusion of two
biometrics - fingerprints and a facial image - in all ID cards
and residence documents for Union citizens and their family members
issued by EU Member States.

According to the Commission's
proposal: "Up to 370 of the 440 million citizens in 26 Member
States (DK [Denmark] and UK do not issue ID cards) could hold
national ID cards," although "identity card ownership
is common and compulsory in 15 Member States" and there
are five other Member States in which citizens "are obliged
to hold a non-specific document for identification purposes.
In practice this very frequently is an identity card."

The measure essentially
aims at fingerprinting the majority of EU citizens - which will
compliment the fingerprinting of non-EU citizens as required
by the Visa Information System (VIS), for those who require a
visa to enter the bloc, and as foreseen by the Entry/Exit System,
which will hold the fingerprints on almost all non-EU nationals
exempt from visa requirements.

A document released alongside
the proposals states (emphasis added):

"It is estimated
that 80 million Europeans currently have non-machine readable
ID cards without biometric identifiers. As many of the EU's
security measures rely on secure travel and identity documents
 such as the systematic checks carried out at the external
borders on all citizens using the Schengen Information System
 this creates a security gap, because of the increased
risk of falsification and identity fraud. It also leads to practical
difficulties for citizens when travelling or moving to another
Member State.

The Commission is therefore
proposing measures to strengthen the security features of ID
cards and residence documents of EU citizens and their non-EU
family members. More secure documents will enhance EU external
border management, increase the protection against falsification
and document fraud and make it more difficult to misuse or copy
such documents. This will benefit the security of all citizens,
public authorities and businesses."

Proposals for new rules
on national ID cards have been put forth alongside proposed measures
to ease cross-border access to financial information for law
enforcement authorities; to make the acquisition of explosives
precursors more difficult; and for stricter controls on the import
and export of firearms.

The Commission also published
yesterday a proposal for new rules allowing easier cross-border
access to "e-evidence" for police and judicial authorities,
with the measures described
by civil society organisations EDRi as "maximising risks for fundamental rights
violations."

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